30 Days Wild campaign hits acts of wildness milestone

Friday 24th June 2016

The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild challenge has inspired people up and down the country to take an estimated one million acts for nature so far this June.

30 Days Wild is all about doing something wild every single day from 1-30 June. The campaign encourages people to carry out Random Acts of Wildness to reconnect with the natural world or help wildlife wherever they live, work and play – and the number of actions has just reached the 1,000,000 mark.

People up and down the country – with a strong take-up in towns and cities – have risen to the challenge in all sorts of inventive and inspiring ways.

• @SallySimba carried out her first handfasting ceremony as part of 30 Days Wild in a woodland - with the birds and bees providing the musical accompaniment

Lucy McRobert, The Wildlife Trusts’ Nature Matters campaigns manager, said: "Reaching the million mark is an exciting milestone. It’s uplifting to see how people are embracing the challenge and making nature part of their everyday lives. From children writing poems about spiders, to my particular favourite –– a woman who shared a photo of herself climbing a tree for the first time in 60 years –– the enthusiasm and energy people have for enjoying nature is clear. It can inspire us, give us space to relax and have fun too!

We know from our research with University of Derby that people doing 30 Days Wild can expect to see an increase in their health, happiness, connection to nature.

“We’ve also had many stories shared with us about people suffering from illnesses like depression and anxiety, who have found that 30 Days Wild has helped them manage their health – benefiting from both the time spent in nature and from the huge community of nature lovers who have come together to share their adventures and offer support.”

• Around 25,000 people have been signed up to 30 Days Wild since 1st June

• 2,000 schools are taking part – around 60,000 school children are taking the challenge

Lucy added: “We know that 30 Days Wild makes people happier, healthier and more connected to nature in the long-term – and by looking out for nature on a regular basis, people are more likely to protect it, which is what The Wildlife Trusts are all about. So here’s to the next million Random Acts of Wildness!”

There is still time to take part in 30 Days Wild. The Wildlife Trusts have put together 101 ways to incorporate a Random Act of Wildness into your everyday life at www.mywildlife.org.uk

See Twitter/Instagram @30DaysWild #30DaysWild – over 70,000 uses of the hashtag to date!